Here's Exactly What You Can Do When You Don't Like What Congress Is Up To

No matter your political party, sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder what the hell Congress is doing—like when they took action earlier this week to weaken the Endangered Species Act, putting thousands of animals at risk to make way for things like drilling and logging.

But there's more that you can do than silently curse your congressperson. In fact, there are concrete steps you can take to fight injustice—as well as remind your representative who it is they really work for (spoiler alert: it's you). Want to get involved? Here are eight steps to get you started:

1. Track down the correct congressperson. The first step to fighting Congress' latest ill-advised move is knowing exactly whom to approach with your grievances, and that's one thing the government makes relatively easy. You can find your representative here and your senator here, as well as use the sites to get their email addresses and phone numbers. If you already know your congressperson's name, or if you want to bend the ear of House Speaker Paul Ryan, you can call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

2. Prepare your pitch. Let's say you're ready to ring your representative over a belief that endangered wolves deserve more protection than an oil company. Don't call cold turkey. Instead, take time before you dial to write down exactly what you want to say, point by important point. If you're not sure where to start, take a look at this popular Google doc, which launched amid protests over president-elect Donald Trump's appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief advisor. The doc lays out scripts so that you can air your grievances about anything from immigration to healthcare.

3. Call your congressperson. Now that you've identified your congressperson and written your go-to speech, it's time to call his or her office and ask to speak to him or her directly. Chances are, you won't be able to reach them and you'll instead speak with one of his or her staff members. Don't be disheartened: The staffer will record your thoughts and bring your concerns to your congressperson.

4. Call again—and again. Even though you may only be repeating yourself to that same staffer, he or she will do more than write down your thoughts. The staffer will record each and every time you call, and pass the count on to your congressperson. And as they say, the squeaky wheel—or in this case, the repeat caller—gets the grease.

5. Tweet it out. No one's encouraging a Twitter war à la President-elect Donald Trump. But if you're a Twitter user, you can take to the social media platform—or Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, for that matter—to calmly and smartly express your concerns, being sure to tag your congressperson in the message, of course.

6. Enlist your friends to call and tweet, too. If you don't want your reproductive rights stripped, chances are your closest gal pals feel the same way. Share the email addresses, phone numbers, and social media handles—plus the pre-written pitches—you've found, and ask them to take action too. There's strength in numbers, folks.

7. Sign a petition. Chances are there's already a petition circulating that challenges the dumb move Congress is currently making. You can head to Change.org for a list of petitions you can sign and that will be sent to Congress, like this one, which supports the radical idea that legislators should not repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan. But if you don't find your specific issue addressed in the already-created petitions, you can also use the site to create your own. If you do, be sure to spread the word on social media and pass it on to your congressperson.

8. Show up in person. If your online efforts aren't working, it may be time to kick it up a notch and talk to your representative or senator in person. Of course, this isn't easy or even feasible for most Americans, who don't live in easy traveling distance to Washington, D.C. If you can swing it, however, you can schedule an appointment using the directions outlined on your congressperson's website. Use this form letter to make the request, and be sure to follow up until you get a date and time you can mark in your calendar.